Thank You Pete Vella

[Lily Wilkins]

So, I saw shiny things in Pete Vella's recent lease auction and decided to go a little off budget and get them.

Looking at their training schedules really enlightened me - It was almost worth the lease fees just to see how brilliant his training methods are.
I have asked about yearling workout schedules/finding equip in the forum before, and gotten excellent answers, so I'm not really sure why this never clicked with me before... I guess seeing it carried out on a horse is what I needed.

Their yearling season, Pete gets them 100% fit BY Week 4 Day 5; they gallop, swim, train in the gate, Ect. Why had it never clicked with me before that I should have my yearlings FIT before I start doing timed drills?!
Then, starting Week 6 Day 3 (so roughly two weeks of rest here... Bless his patience), they get their first timed workout. Every SIX days thereafter, they get another timed workout... Same surface, same distance, but with a different single piece of equipment. By Week 16 Day 1, they will have gotten a timed drill with every piece of equipment, and it becomes way easier to:
A. Find the correct piece(s) based on the times
B. If two or more times are really close, use the trainer to solve one piece and then use the times to discover the second.

And, the best part? Your yearling comes into its second year FIT and ready to run. A workout every 6 days was enough to keep the fillies I leased fit through their yearling season without Pete having to do a bunch of the fussy training options with them. Just schedule the breezes out a couple weeks at a time, and vola!

I know there's plenty of other awesome ways SIMsters manage their yearlings, I just wanted to highlight this since it gave me one of those "Lightbulb" moments this morning while I was checking these new horses out.

[Gwayne's World]

That's why he's (Pete) a HOF'er!

[Nick Gilmore]

Mmmm, fine if you lease 2 year olds. I picked up a pair of 3 year olds he’s done nothing with lately and they came very unfit....grrrr to you Pete, lol.

That said, I was thrilled to get this little gal. After a wee bit of sorting she worked 5 on the turf in 58:77, unfit and all. I’ll take that any day! Thanks Pete.

[Rochelle Bos]

I thought that training method was the norm!

I also gallop my will-they-improvers every week to keep them fit, just in case

[Mr. Lord Rich]

Lol you are welcome thanks for the leases. I just don’t have the time to get these things on the track. I blame all the dang mixers.

Sorry about the 3yo, but at least it’s easy to get the gear and it should be 2 weeks after getting fit for its first race.
And you do have 2 seasons

[Nick Gilmore]

And you do have 2 seasons

More like 1 1/2 by the time they get fit....a good reason to extend the lease IF the horse shows promise...

[Gwayne's World]

And you do have 2 seasons

More like 1 1/2 by the time they get fit....a good reason to extend the lease IF the horse shows promise...

I'm with you Nick! I only leased one but she's a real beauty! Kind'a like a new car you just want to look at and the heck with driving it!

https://www.simhorseracing.com/horse.ph ... ID=1098330

[Lily Wilkins]

THANK YOU AGAIN PETE!
This one upgraded to a "Stakes" today: https://www.simhorseracing.com/horse.ph ... ID=1097747